"Thomas!" the sound of heavy thuds echoed through the Homestead "Come back here!" his voice ran hoarse from all the yelling he had done today "Bloody Slinthead Runners it's all you know how ta' do!" he yelled after the boy who was running down the stairs now, heaving the front door open and disappearing into the Glade, Newt not too far behind him.
He caught a glimpse of the grey shirt the damn Greenie had been wearing turning another inevitable corner in the Maze. Newt called out again worry filling his heart now. They shouldn't be out here.
"Greenie get back ere' ya sod!" Newt watched Thomas run like his life hung in the balance. He couldn't hear him. The Runner leaped over a large stray vine and ducked under protruding stone like he'd ran this corridor a thousand times. Newt made an effort to keep running but stopped when he felt a pang of pain in his leg "Dammit!" he cursed soothing the area with his hand.
A sound caught his attention in the distance, he whipped around heart racing. He hadn't been out here in a long time. He shouldn't be out here.
Suddenly a shadow appeared around the immediate corner and Newt's leg gave out and he collided painfully with the ground.
"What the Shuck are you doing out here!"
"Oh" Newt exhaled in relief "You'd nearly scared the klunk out of me"
Minho offered his arm to pull him up "Let's get you back"
The Med Jaks prodded at his leg before ordering him to "Rest it up" Newt snapped at them "I could a' told you that"
He limped out of the Homestead toward the East door and sat in front of the opening, every minute passed he hoped to see that stupid Greenie round the corner. But after an hour, he got to his feet. And with conflicting feelings he turned his back on the Maze moving now toward the Homestead once more.
Another hour passed and Newt's knee jumped relentlessly against the floor his eyes glued on the door. The doors would close soon. No sign of Thomas. Dread began to flood him, a heavy sensation, had his leg been fine he could have followed the stubborn Runner to the ends of the Maze, assuming the mindless Greenie hadn't run off the Cliff in his crazed need to flee the Glade. That thought only made Newt's leg still and his heart clench. He had to be okay.
There it was the heavy shudder "The Doors!" Newt got up so fast the chair fell over beneath him.
"Thomas!" He yelled the urgency in his voice, venturing around the Glade helplessly
There he was a blurry grey shirted figure rested against the stone wall behind the Deadheads. Is he hurt? Newt picked up the pace limping painfully toward the quiet body.
Is he dead?
Newt got to his knees and came close the boy, his chest rose slowly, eyes closed tight, his mouth open only slightly. He's asleep.
Newt cursed under his breath as relief washed over him, after hours of panic he was okay
The night was descending over the Glade "He's okay?" Chuck pried for the fifth time "Yes. Chuck he's fine, he's sleeping"
"Do you mean 'sleeping' as in dead?"
Newt stopped and stared at Chuck hard with an intolerable look "Okay" Chuck retreated but with reassurance that his friend was okay.
Newt passed Minho on the way to the Deadheads "Where're you going with those?"
"Mexico"
Minho laughed and raised his hands in surrender "Whatever floats your boat my friend"
Newt placed the blankets loosely of the sleeping Runner before tucking it in around his body
"Bloody Shank you are" he breathed shaking his head
"Don't ever do that again" he knew the boy wouldn't hear him, he moved his hand to wipe the hair from Thomas' forehead and let it linger there a moment.
"Sleep well Tommy" he smiled half-heartedly before leaving the boy to rest.
More to Come...
